Your choice will be my choice. I need to know whether I can trust you—whether I can stake everything on you. Even if I am forcing you into an impossible decision, even if it leaves you with a lifetime of regret, at least you will still be alive…
“You.” Feng Xuanzhe answered cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation or struggle, as though he were not one of the contenders standing at the very heart of the struggle for power. His answer only left Ning Xuan bewildered—afraid, overjoyed, and overwhelmed by a sense of fulfillment and happiness that had arrived far too quickly and without warning.
“Why?” Ning Xuan questioned instinctively, his heart pounding violently. He pursed his lips and tried to remain expressionless, unaware that his face was already filled with disbelief and irrepressible joy, as though his heart might leap straight out of his mouth at any moment.
“If I lose the realm, I can seize it again. But if I lose you, there will never be another you in this lifetime. For your sake, even the realm can be abandoned.”
Feng Xuanzhe remained expressionless, yet Ning Xuan could read the seriousness beneath that calm exterior—the choice he had made and the finality of his resolve. The great weight that had pressed upon Ning Xuan for so long finally fell away, leaving him both delighted and helpless.
In the end, only Feng Xuanzhe would ever say such words to him, and only Feng Xuanzhe would keep them without deceit or concealment, caring solely for Ning Xuan’s every word and smile. Yet Ning Xuan did not even possess the courage to ask that other man the same question, because before the words were ever spoken, he had already guessed the answer.
There had always been far too many things between Ning Xuan and Feng Xuanyi that could not withstand careful examination. He had refused to examine them before because he did not wish to—because he understood perfectly well how fragile those words and moments of tenderness truly were. He had only needed to play deaf and dumb, deceiving himself as he lived inside his own small world. Yet the affairs of the world were unpredictable. He wished to remain within that little world, but he could not resist the passage of time and its slow erosion. Perhaps his love had never been as profound as he imagined. Perhaps it was simply because, at his most vulnerable, someone had appeared and offered him warmth without hesitation or expectation of reward—respecting him, cherishing him, placing Ning Xuan’s every joy and sorrow before all else, preferring to wrong himself and never once showing resentment or neglect despite Ning Xuan’s continued coldness.
Call him selfish or accuse him of being heartless—the balance within his heart had been pulled level, little by little, before abruptly tipping just now. This time, however, it had fallen entirely in the opposite direction.
If Feng Xuanyi’s sudden appearance had once shaken Ning Xuan’s decision, then at this moment, his resolve was as immovable as stone.
Ultimately, Ning Xuan was the one who had wronged Feng Xuanzhe. The military authority in his hands was not something he could control and could only be given entirely to Feng Xuanyi. It would be his farewell to the person he had once been, a clean break from his past, and a selfish means of escaping the prison formed by fame, status, and power. But his heart—from this day onward, he would give it wholly and without reservation to Feng Xuanzhe. They would withdraw into the mountains, ignore the affairs of the world, and live an ordinary, peaceful life—free and happy.
Ning Xuan’s emotion was plainly visible and reflected deeply in Feng Xuanzhe’s eyes. They held each other and exchanged a lingering gaze, warmth flowing between them.
What Ning Xuan did not know was that too many uncertainties in this world lay beyond his control, and that an uncrossable chasm stood between reality and dreams. Since it was a dream, no matter how beautiful or difficult to leave behind, the day of awakening would inevitably arrive. Only when that day came would he learn that the more beautiful and captivating the dream, the crueler and more despairing reality would be.
On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the forty-first year of Emperor Huawen’s reign, when the horizon had only just begun to pale, news emerged from the palace that Emperor Huawen’s condition had become critical. Every city gate and palace entrance was placed under layer upon layer of Imperial Guard protection. Without an imperial summons, no prince, noble, or official was permitted to enter or leave without authorization.
The moment the news spread, Crown Prince Feng Xuanmo could no longer remain seated. Leading a contingent of Eastern Palace guards, he rode directly toward Yuliu Palace, the emperor’s sleeping quarters. Under the pretext that “Imperial Father would never refuse to see the Crown Prince at such a time; something is suspicious, and he must be under coercion,” he advanced without obstruction. Rather than stopping him, the Commander of the Imperial Guards allowed him to proceed unhindered toward the palace.
Ning Xuan was still asleep at his residence when the news reached him. A few sentences from Xuan Guang instantly swept away every trace of drowsiness. With no time to wonder why he had received the news so late, Ning Xuan grabbed the clothing beside his bed and dressed as he hurried toward Prince Yi’s Residence.
The Crown Prince’s actions made everyone sense that something was amiss. When Ning Xuan rushed into Prince Yi’s Residence, he found Feng Xuanzhe reclining calmly upon his chaise longue while civil officials and military commanders packed the room. Feng Xuanzhe had remained inside the residence with his eyes closed, resting peacefully and unmoved no matter how the others urged him. Then his eyes abruptly opened, a sharp brilliance flashing within them. Without another word, he strode straight out the door, leaving behind only one sentence: “The time has come.”
Declaring that “the Crown Prince has violated filial duty and benevolence by leading a heavily armed force to threaten the palace, while the Commander of the Imperial Guards accepts the sovereign’s salary yet fails to share his concerns, allowing the Crown Prince to act recklessly—this is nothing short of rebellion,” Feng Xuanzhe led his personal forces to “protect His Majesty” and entered unopposed through the southern palace gate.
Before Yuliu Gate, Feng Xuanzhe led five thousand Imperial Guards in a fierce advance, intercepting Feng Xuanmo and surrounding him and his attendants so tightly that not even water could pass through. At the head of his forces, Feng Xuanzhe urged his horse leisurely through the path opened by the soldiers and looked down from above at Feng Xuanmo, now a trapped beast. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, please halt.”
“Eldest Brother.” Although he stood at a disadvantage and the soldiers following him had lost their composure, exchanging frightened whispers and shrinking back uncertainly, the Crown Prince himself remained perfectly calm. It was as though they had not met before the gates of Yuliu Palace, but in some casual corner of his own courtyard. Relaxed, open, and entirely unrestrained, he met Feng Xuanzhe’s gaze without avoidance. He showed no surprise and instead possessed the composure of someone certain of victory.
“Your Highness rose early. The sun has not even appeared, yet your morning stroll has already carried you to Imperial Father’s palace gates.” Feng Xuanzhe was perhaps the first person capable of describing a palace coup balanced upon the edge of life and death with such casual understatement.
“Why bother speaking in circles now that matters have reached this point?” Feng Xuanmo did not appreciate the courtesy. He gave a cold rebuke and glanced at the troops Feng Xuanzhe had brought. “You dare block my path with nothing more than this pitiful force? Hah!”
“Your Highness has prepared a contingency, but what makes you believe I have none? Huo Yan, the Imperial Guard Commandant you stationed at the main palace gate, has already fallen beneath the sword of the men I sent. The fact that he has not yet arrived to reinforce you is proof enough. Your Highness, without legitimacy, one’s words carry no authority. If something does not belong to you, forcing the matter will accomplish nothing. The victor becomes king, and the loser an outlaw. We are brothers, after all. Although our political views and positions differ, I do not wish to take your life. Surrender and leave now. Abandon your identity and status, and I will guarantee you a lifetime of wealth, comfort, and freedom from want.”
If defeat were inevitable, this would indeed have been the best possible ending for Feng Xuanmo. Yet he showed neither relief nor gratitude. Instead, the corner of his lips rose in a cold, contemptuous smile.
“‘The victor becomes king, and the loser an outlaw.’ Ha! Well said indeed. I can surrender. I can leave. I can abandon every scrap of identity and status. At this point, even if I wished to care about those things, I no longer have the luxury. There is only one matter I cannot understand, and I must ask Eldest Brother to enlighten me.” His black hair streamed through the bitter wind. His sharp gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward Ning Xuan, who sat upon his horse half a length behind Feng Xuanzhe. His smile seemed directed at Ning Xuan, yet perhaps it was not. “You claim you can guarantee me a lifetime of wealth and comfort—but what gives you the authority to make that promise? I may be the defeated outlaw, but what makes you so certain that you are the victorious king?”
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